Emerika Bluma 1, 71000 Sarajevo Tel. 28 35 00 Fax. 28 35 01 Department for Legal Affairs CONSTITUTION OF BOSNIAN PODRINJE CANTON - GORAZDE “Official Gazette of Bosnian Podrinje Canton – Gorazde”, 3/97 NOTE: − Amendments published in the “Official Gazette of Bosnian Podrinje Canton – Gorazde”, 6/97, 6/98, 10/00, 5/03 and 8/04 are not included in this translation. − Consolidated text of the Constitution was published in the “Official Gazette of Bosnian Podrinje Canton – Gorazde”, 8/98 Based on Article V 1.4 and 6 and IX - 3 (4) of the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Federation BIH Official Gazette”, No. 1/94), at its session held on 18 March 1996, the Interim Assembly of the Bosnian Podrinje Canton - Gorazde passes: CONSTITUTION OF BOSNIAN PODRINJE CANTON - GORAZDE I - GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1. This Constitution shall regulate the organization and status of the Bosnian Podrinje Canton - Gorazde (hereinafter: the Canton), its competencies and government structure. Article 2. Establishment of the Canton The Bosnian Podrinje Canton - Gorazde shall be a federal unit of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the Federation). The area of the town of Gorazde, with the surrounding villages, the villages of the neighboring municipalities (Foca, Rogatica and Pale), which by the demarcation of entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina, initiated in Dayton and signed in Paris on 14 December 1995 (hereinafter: the Peace Agreement), tell within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, shall be organized as the Canton in accordance with the Constitution of the Federation and this Constitution Article 3. The composition of all the bodies in the Canton and Canton municipalities shall have to reflect the national structure of the population of the Canton or the municipality, unless stipulated otherwise by the Constitution of the Federation. Article 4. The Bosniaks and Croats, as the constituent peoples, together with the others as the citizens of the Canton shall exercise their sovereign rights in the Federation and the Canton, in accordance, with the Constitution of the Federation and this Constitution. Article 5. Territory of the Canton Territory of the canton shall include parts of the municipalities of: Gorazde, Foca, Rogatica and Pale. This territory shall be specified by a separate regulation of the Canton Assembly in accordance with the Federation laws. In case of alteration of the territory of the Canton by separation of parts of the territory for the purpose of merging with other Cantons or for merging of other Cantons with this Canton, the Canton Assembly shall first give its opinion, and for this purpose it may request the citizens of the Canton to give their opinion by some of the prescribed methods. Article 6. Name and Seat of the Canton The official name of the Canton shall be: Bosnian Podrinje Canton - Gorazde. The seat of the Canton shall be in Gorazde. Article 7. Official Symbols of the Canton The Canton shall have a coat-of-arms, a flag a seal and anthem (solemn song), as well as other official Symbols decided on by the Assembly. The Assembly shall pass a separate regulation on the official Symbols of the Canton. The official Symbols of the Canton shall be used independently or together with the official Symbols of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federation, as stipulated by their regulations and the regulations of the Canton. Article 8. The official languages of the Canton shall be Bosnian and Croatian. The official alphabet shall be Latin. The other languages may be used as means of communication and teaching. II- PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS Article 9. In the territory of the Canton shall be ensured the highest standards and full protection of the internationally recognized rights and freedoms stipulated by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and by the instruments given in the Annex to the Federation Constitution. The Canton Assembly or any other body of the Canton may not reduce the human rights and freedoms stipulated by the documents from the previous Paragraph. h the adoption of regulations and their application, they shall be obliged to particularly take care of the effects which those regulations may have or do have in the field of human an rights and freedoms. Article 10. The Canton Assembly shall ensure adoption of such regulations, which shall in the first place protect the stipulated human rights and freedoms and introduce efficient instruments of that protection. In application of regulations, the Government bodies in the Canton shall be obliged to prevent any violation of human rights 6d freedoms and take all necessary measures within their competencies, to ensure their full protection. This particularly refers to the police forces, which shall, through efficient preventive and operational work ensure full safety of person and property of all citizens. Article 11. The Canton shall specifically take measures for exercising, the right of all refugees and displaced persons to flee return to places where they were expelled from, to retrieval of all property confiscated during expulsion on ethnic grounds as well as to compensation for all the property which cannot be retrieved. In application of regulations, the Government bodies in the Canton shall be obliged to prevent any violation of human rights all freedoms and take all necessary measures within their competencies, to ensure their full protection. This particularly refers to the police forces, which shall, through efficient preventive and operational work, ensure full safety of person and property of all citizens. Article 12. Commission on Human Rights For protection of human rights and freedoms and control of work of all Canton government bodies in this field, the Canton Assembly shall form a special commission on human rights. The number of members, method of' their appointment and competencies of the Commission from the previous Paragraph shall be stipulated by a separate regulation of the Canton. Article 13. Cooperation with Ombudsmen and International Organizations The Canton Assembly and other government bodies shall be obliged to offer to the Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ombudsman of the Federation and all international observer bodies for human rights all possible assistance in performance of their functions in the territory of the Canton. As part of the assistance from the previous Paragraph, the Canton bodies shall particularly: a. ensure access to all official documents, including the secret ones, and court administrative documents; b. ensure cooperation of all persons and all employees in giving the necessary information and data; c. ensure access to and control of all places where arrested persons are detained and where they work; d. ensure presence at court and administrative proceedings, as well as at sessions of the bodies; The findings and reports of the bodies from Paragraph 1 of this Article shall be discussed by the competent bodies in an urgent procedure based on which appropriate measures shall be taken where necessary. III - COMPETENCIES OF THE CANTON Article 14. Definition of Competencies The Canton shall have the competencies stipulated by the Federation Constitution and this Constitution. In case of need for interpretation, the competencies of the Canton stipulated by this Constitution shall be interpreted to the advantage of the Canton, by the principle of superior competency, and the competencies specifically mentioned in this Constitution shall not be interpreted as any limitations of the general competencies of the Canton. Article 15. Exclusive Competencies Within its exclusive competencies, the Canton shall be responsible for: a. establishment of and supervision over the police forces; b. definition of education policy, including adoption of regulations on education and provision of education; c. definition and implementation of culture policy; d. definition of housing policy, including adoption of regulations concerning refurbishment and construction of housing facilities; e. definition of policy concerning regulation and provision of public services; f. adoption of regulations on utilization of local land, including demarcation of zones; g. adoption of regulations on enhancement of local business and charity activities; h. adoption of regulations on local facilities for production of energy and ensuring their access; i. definition of policy concerning provision of radio and television stations, including adoption of regulations on ensuring their work and construction; j. implementation of social policy and establishment of social welfare services; k. definition and implementation of tourism policy and development of tourist resources; l. funding of activities of the Canton government and of activities under the sponsorship of the Canton government (agencies) by imposition of taxes loans or other means; m. taking decisions, within the framework of the defined economic policy, for inciting economic and social development. Article 16. Common Competencies Shared with the Federation Together with the Federation, independently or in coordination with the Federation government, the Canton shall exercise the following competencies: a. guarantees for and implementation of human rights; b. health care; c. environment protection policy; d. communications and transport infrastructure; e. social welfare policy; f. implementation of the law and other regulations